3)You’re confusing “its” and “it’s,” and, no, it’s not alright just because they’re confusing. They’re NOT: “It’s” is short for “it is”; “its” is a personal pronoun, as in “the bicycle, down to its hupcaps…”

4)You’re using “parent’s” as a possessive plural, when it’s singular. Instead, use “parents’” as in “my parents’ house.”

5)You’re confusing “lies” and “lays” and, no, it’s not alright to say, “She was laying with him on the bed.” See Fowler’s Modern Usage, and fix it!

6)You’re allowed ONE adverb per hundred pages. Search and destroy the others.

7)Remember to SHOW us what’s happening in your story, not TELL us about it.

8)Your dialogue is NOT action, moving the story forward. Root out every piece of dialogue that doesn’t contribute to the forward motion of your story.

9)You overuse certain words—you know what they are. Become aware of them, and don’t allow yourself to use them more than once in 30 pages.

AUTHOR-PRENEURS!

"In today’s unpredictable economic times, the only investment with any appreciable security at all is clearly investing in your own creative career—something you and only you can have control over. As I watch the Dow-Jones rise and fall and see that the projects of so many writing clients moving forward toward their pots of gold at the end of the rainbow, I commend all creative people with the vision to take risks on their own creativity. One thing for sure, the worst things are, the more the world needs stories!" -- Ken Atchity, the Story Merchant

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Flix Pics: Movies I Recommend

Curse of the Golden Flower One of the most spectacular epic films I've ever seen: action, costume, intrigue, acting, directing. And you thought you had family issues! Don't know why it took years to find it.
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